Slow Descent
by lilactorgirl
Summary: Bobby goes undercover in a psych ward... idea came from USA interview w VDO where he mentioned Bobby would be in a Pysch Ward...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Usual disclaimers. None of the characters legally belong to me... as much as I wish they did.

_**In New York City's war on crime, the worst criminal offenders are pursued by the detectives of the Major Case Squad. These are their stories**_

Detective Bobby Goren, a tall, broad-shouldered man with grey hair stepped cautiously into his captain's office. He had been called in on his day off, which was never a good sign.

As he entered Capt. Ross's office, Goren saw Detective Mike Logan and the new female detective, Detective Falacci.

Captain Ross nodded to Goren, indicating he should close the door. After Goren did so, Ross shook Goren's hand. "Good morning, Detective. Thanks for coming in."

"Of course," Goren said. "So, what's up?"

Logan cleared his throat. "Um, Falacci and I caught a case a couple of days ago. This judge's mother-in-law died… the judge's wife insisted the mother-in-law was killed. We had Rogers examine the body, and sure enough she was."

Goren's eyes widened. "How?"

"She was poisoned – arsenic," Logan answered. "But get this… she was also given a high level of morphine."

Goren nodded. "To keep her from hurting. This killer has a conscious." Logan nodded. "So, how can I help?"

Ross and Logan glanced at each other. Ross cleared his throat. "The mother-in-law was in… in a mental clinic. We exhumed ten other bodies… nine of them had arsenic and morphine in them too." He took a breath and continued slowly, "And we need someone undercover there."

Goren was silent for a moment. "You want me to… to go undercover in a mental clinic?"

Logan said softly, "They know us, Goren."

Falacci added, "Besides, you have experience with –"

"Detective —" Ross cut in quickly, but Goren glared at her.

"So that's why _I_ get to go undercover in the nut house… what, because I'm a 'whack job'?" Goren snapped.

"We asked you because we know you'd want to help us," Ross said quickly and firmly.

After a tense moment, Goren asked, "What mental hospital?"

Logan answered, "Actually the psych ward at Mt. Sinai."

Goren nodded. "So, what's the plan?"

Ross explained, "We were going to work out details once we spoke with you. You'll do this?"

Bobby sighed. "Of course, Captain."

_Interesting idea?? More chapters to come if people are interested... still a WIP! _


	2. Chapter 2

Detective Alexandra Eames stepped off the elevator with a large cup of coffee. She walked into the office, took a seat at her desk, and began filling out some paperwork.

Five minutes later she heard footsteps. She began, "Good morning –" and looked up. But Bobby wasn't standing in front of her. Instead Detective Bishop stood in the doorway.

Eames blinked, and Captain Ross poked his head out of his office. "Bishop! Good. Come on in. You too, Eames."

Eames and Bishop exchanged a small nod, and walked into Ross' office. He shut the door behind them.

"Detective Eames, you know Detective Bishop?" Ross asked.

Eames nodded. "She partnered with Bobby while I was pregnant with Nathan…"

Ross smirked. "That must've been fun." He cleared his throat and continued. "Detective Goren is going undercover for a few weeks. Detective Bishop will fill in for him here."

Eames frowned. "Where's Bobby?"

"That's confidential, Eames," Ross said. "That's all… welcome, Bishop. You can borrow Detective Goren's desk while he's gone."

With that, Bishop nodded and left the office, but Eames stayed behind.

She crossed her arms. "Captain… I need to know where he is."

Ross shook his head. "Eames, you know the protocol. The fewer people who know where undercover cops are, the safer they are."

"I know the protocol, sir. But Bobby shouldn't be alone right now."

"Detective Goren isn't 'alone,' Eames," Ross said sternly. "Now go."

"_Please_," Eames said. "I won't put him in danger. But please. You know he doesn't do well without me."

After a moment, Ross sighed. "You are to tell _no one_, Eames. Understand?"

"Completely," Eames promised.

Ross sat down. "Detectives Logan and Falacci investigated a death at the psych ward at Mount Sinai. They found eleven recent deaths were caused by arsenic and morphine. Detective Goren is undercover there."

Eames' eyes widened. "You sent Bobby undercover in a mental hospital? Why, because no one would question him being there because of his mother?"

"That's out of line, Detective!" Ross said, standing. "I spoke with Detective Goren, and he agreed."

"Of course he did! This is his job!" Eames retorted.

"Detective Goren didn't seem so worried about his job a year ago," Ross said sharply.

After a tense moment, Eames softly said, "That's not fair, Captain."

Ross sat back in his seat. "Look, Detective, this is done. Detective Goren will be back soon. Meanwhile, I need you to work with Bishop. Go fill her in on the Scarborough case."

Eames shook her head as she turned and left the office.


	3. Chapter 3

Bobby silently changed into the normal hospital garb. His ego was still smarting from walking into the clinic with Ross. He understood why he had to do this, but it hurt.

_"This is Detective Robert Goren… I think he's suffering from some kind of delusions. He walked in this morning talking about people being after him… couldn't say any more," Ross had said softly, but not softly enough._

_"I see… any history of mental illness in his family? Has he been through any recent traumatic events?" the doctor asked. _

_Bobby remembered silently laughing at that. He'd been through __**plenty**__ of traumatic events._

_Ross cleared his throat. "His mother had schizophrenia… she died a few weeks ago. He came back to work early because another cop was killed. He's been stressed ever since."_

_The doctor nodded. "Well, schizophrenia does run in families. And death of a loved one can cause a break. We'll keep him here for a few days."_

Bobby shook his head. He knew it was going to take more than "a few days" to solve this case. He picked up his duffel bag to put it under his bed, but remembered something he'd forgotten to unpack.

He unzipped a tiny pocket on the side, and took out an old, tattered photograph of a beautiful woman… his mother. He remembered the last time he'd looked at that photo… when he'd confronted his mother about who his father was, right before she died.

With a sigh, he placed the photo on the small nightstand beside his bed.

There was a knock at the door. Bobby called, "Come in."

A petite doctor with reddish hair stepped in. "Hello, Robert!"

Bobby shrugged. "Call me Bobby."

The doctor smiled. "All right, Bobby. My name's Dr. Mahler. We're just going to talk for a few minutes, okay?"

Bobby nodded. _Here goes nothing…_


	4. Chapter 4

Bobby gave Dr. Mahler all the answers he was looking for. He flashed back to his mother… remembering her rants about _them_, about _the bad people_. He was certainly familiar enough with mental illness to fool anyone.

The doctor had his notepad out and scribbled notes occasionally. Bobby was annoyed by the condescending attitude the doctor took. _Mom wasn't as deluded as I thought_, Bobby thought to himself.

After speaking with Bobby, Dr. Mahler said, "Why don't I show you around?" Bobby nodded, and followed Dr. Mahler down the hall. "Our mess hall is down here… most of our patients come and eat here. Here's our game room…" he paused in front of a door painted grey. "This is isolation… only used in very extreme situations. Most patients never have to go in there."

After the small tour, Bobby went to the game room. He saw a few other patients sitting, one staring at an old re-run of _Jeopardy_ on TV, and two playing cards. A little girl was also curled in the corner of the room, playing around with a set of checkers. Bobby slowly went up to her.

"H-Hi," he said softly.

The girl turned and looked at him. She blinked, and then gave a little smile. "You're new."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, I just got here today. What's your name?"

"Jessica," the girl replied. "What's yours?"

"Bobby. Hey… would you mind if I played checkers with you?" he asked.

Jessica turned away and looked at the floor. "Mother says I shouldn't play with strangers… strangers hurt people. Strangers are bad."

Bobby nodded. "Sounds like your mother really cares about you."

Jessica shrugged. "She doesn't visit me. But she's moving me."

Bobby cocked his head. "Really… do you know where?"

Jessica shook her head. "No. But she's nervous about this place."

"Why?"

Jessica glanced around and then looked Bobby in the eyes. She whispered, "Some people died here. They weren't killed… but my mother says she has a bad feeling about this place." Bobby nodded, and they sat in silence for a moment. "Bobby… you're real, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

Jessica sighed deeply. "That's why I'm here. I see people that aren't really there." Then she smiled at him and said, "Do you wanna play checkers?"


	5. Chapter 5

That night Bobby went back to his room and pulled out his binder from beneath his mattress. He jotted notes down.

There was a knock at his door, and Bobby said, "Come in." He quickly shoved the binder back.

A tall, thin man in his mid-twenties stepped in. "My name's Nurse Jacobs. I'll be giving you your meds." He brought a small plastic cup with two bright red pills and a glass of water. Bobby nodded. He took the cup, and noticed Nurse Jacobs watching him. Jacobs grinned. "I have to watch you take them, Mr. Goren."

"Bobby…call me Bobby." Bobby glanced at the pills. He turned back to Nurse Jacobs. "I got this from my mother, you know. Sh-she's the reason."

Nurse Jacob's grin faded. "I'm sorry."

"She had me…. I think before she knew. Or maybe she just didn't care…"

Nurse Jacobs shook his head. "I'm sure she didn't know… no one would do that to their child."

Bobby shrugged. "Do you have anything… f-from your parents?"

He tensed slightly. "No. My mother was… mentally ill. But I didn't get it."

Bobby grinned and shook his head. "You're lucky, man. You're _really_ lucky."

"I need you to take your pills… I have to see you take them," Nurse Jacobs said.

Bobby nodded, and gulped down the pills, hiding them under his tongue. Nurse Jacobs smiled and left. Bobby spat the pills into a tissue and threw it into his trash can. _No way in hell I'm taking those…_

Bobby sat down on his bed. He glanced over at his mother's picture.

A blond-haired devil crept into his mind… she taunted him in her Australian accent…

_**"Did your mother help you come up with that theory?"**_

_**"How old were you, Bobby, when you realized your mummy wasn't like all the other mummies?" **_

_Seven_, Bobby thought silently. _That was when I first noticed…_

_**Little Bobby Goren walked into his home. The first thing he realized was his mother wasn't there to greet him like she always was. "Mommy?" he called. There was no answer. He rushed up the stairs, "Mommy?" He raced down the hall, but paused outside his mother's room. Inside he heard whispers. "Mommy?" He slowly opened the door, and walked in. Across the room, he saw his mother curled in the corner, whispering to herself. **_

_**She glanced at him, and called out, "Bobby! Come here, quickly! Shut the door!" **_

_**"Why?" Bobby asked.**_

"NOW!" Francine screamed. Bobby shut the door and ran over to her. She grabbed into her arms and held him against her chest. 

_**"Mommy? What's going on?" Bobby whispered.**_

_**"Quiet!" Francine hissed. She held Bobby in her arms for an hour before she calmed down and let him go. That was when Bobby realized his mother wasn't like all the other mothers. **_

Bobby was brought back to reality by a loud, piercing scream…


	6. Chapter 6

Bobby rushed to his door and opened it. He saw Dr. Mahler and a team of doctors rush into a room two doors down from him. The screams continued, and he heard doctors calling orders to each other. The screams settled. Bobby stepped outside his door and watched as Dr. Mahler and another petite African-American doctor lead Jessica out of her room down the hall to isolation.

He turned back to Jessica's door and saw Nurse Jacobs coming out. Jacobs saw Bobby and said, "Hey… nothing to worry about, Bobby. Go back to bed."

"What happened?" Bobby said.

"Nothing, like I said. Go back to your room, Bobby."

Reluctantly, Bobby stepped back into his room and closed the door.

He lay in bed, listening closely. Around two AM he heard movement in the hall. He peeked out of his door and saw Dr. Mahler leading Jessica back to her room. He shut his door and took out his portfolio. He wrote down what he had just seen.

The next morning Bobby walked down to the game room again. He saw Jessica curled up on the sofa, staring out the window. Bobby walked up to her. "Hey, Jessica." She didn't react. "C-can I sit down?" She nodded, and Bobby sat down beside her. They sat in silence for a moment. Bobby then asked quietly, "I saw what happened last night…"

Jessica turned and glared at him. "Nothing happened last night! _Nothing_!"

Bobby said softly, "Okay… okay… I'm sorry."

After a moment, Jessica whispered, "I saw something that wasn't real again." Her eyes filled with tears. "I-it scares me…"

Bobby put his hand on her shoulder. "I understand. My mother… she saw things that weren't real."

Jessica's eyes widened. "R-really?" Bobby nodded. "Did she get scared?"

"Yeah," Bobby said.

"Does… does she still see things?" Jessica asked.

After a moment, Bobby said, "She passed away six months ago."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Jessica whispered. She took patted Bobby's hand. "You must've been sad."

Bobby nodded. "I was." _I still am. _Then he asked softly, "So…. What did you see last night?"

Jessica sighed and said quietly, "I thought Nurse Jacobs was in my room."


	7. Chapter 7

That night, Nurse Jacobs came into Bobby's room around 9:00. "Hey, Bobby." Bobby gave a polite nod. "It's time to give you medicine."

Bobby sighed. "All right." He stood up, and saw Jacobs filling a syringe. "What's with the needle?"

"It's the same medicine, Bobby…. It's cheaper to give it to patients through injections," Jacobs explained. "Don't worry."

_Shit_. Bobby said, "I… I really don't do well with needles."

Jacobs tapped the syringe to pop a couple of air bubbles. "You'll be fine." He replaced the cap and faced Bobby. "Have a seat."

Bobby cleared his throat. "Look, I can't –"

"Bobby," Jacobs said firmly, "Come on. You need your meds."

Bobby thought frantically. _What can I do? _He realized there was nothing he could do. He took a deep breath and stepped back. He sat down on his bed and rolled up his sleeve.

Jacobs stepped up and took Bobby's arm. He found a vain on Bobby's hand, swabbed it with alcohol, and stuck the needle into the vain. Bobby flinched but said nothing. The medicine stung slightly. Jacobs took the syringe out, and held a cotton ball on Bobby's hand.

"There," Jacobs said. "That wasn't so bad."

Bobby nodded. Jacobs gave Bobby a band-aid. He gave Bobby a smile. "Goodnight."

As soon as Jacobs left, Bobby grabbed his portfolio and hastily wrote a note.

_I am writing this letter at 9:30 pm on December 5__th__. I was just injected with some kind of medicine. I do not know what effect it will have on me. I was injected by Nurse Jacobs. Another patient, Jessica, claims that Nurse Jacobs was in her room last night, but believes it was a hallucination brought on by her mental illness.   
ROBERT GOREN._

He suddenly felt really tired…

_What the hell did he inject me with_?


	8. Chapter 8

_**Bobby! Bobby, wake up!**_

Bobby's eyes shot open. He blinked and looked around his empty room. _I could've sworn that was Mom's voice…_ He shook himself mentally.

There was a knock on the door, and Bobby froze. _Who is it? _He felt a spasm of fear jolt through him. _What do they want? _Whoever it was kept knocking. Finally Bobby said, "W-who is it?"

"It's Jessica, Bobby!"

Bobby sighed. "Come in, Jessica."

Jessica opened the door and rushed in. She had her hands behind her back and a grin on her face. Bobby tensed for a second, but she held up a paper cup with water and three bright yellow dandelions in it. "These are for you," she said. She placed them carefully on Bobby's desk.

"Thank you," Bobby said softly. "They're beautiful."

"I was outside this morning. It's pretty cold," Jessica said. "I don't think they'll let us outside much longer." She glanced at the picture of Francine beside Bobby's bed.

She moved to pick it up, and Bobby grabbed her hand. "Don't!" Jessica gasped and pulled her hand back. She started wide-eyed at Bobby.

Bobby took a deep breath. "I… I'm sorry, Jessica."

Jessica watched Bobby, and said slowly, "It's okay. Wh-who is that?"

"My mother," Bobby answered, picking up the picture.

"She's pretty," Jessica said. Bobby smiled and nodded. She took his hand. "Bobby… come outside with me! It's so pretty out!" 

Bobby nodded. "All right…. Go on, I'll be out in a little while." Jessica left and shut the door behind her.

Bobby got up and went over to the mirror on the back of the door. _Why did I snap at her? She was just looking at the picture… _

He glanced down at his hand, and remembered _**a searing pain in his hand**_

_**"It's cheaper to give it… through injections." **_

Bobby's hands suddenly tensed into fists…. And he realized his heart was racing. He unclenched his fists and took a few deep breaths. Something was wrong…


	9. Chapter 9

Alex Eames sat at her desk, tapping her pencil on the side of her desk. She glanced at Bishop sitting at Bobby's desk, and her eyes wandered to the large calendar on the wall. Bobby had been gone for two weeks now. She hadn't heard a word from him.

Alex sighed, and Bishop looked up from her paper work. "You all right?" Bishop asked.

Alex shrugged. "I dunno. I'm just…"

Bishop nodded. "You're worried about Detective Goren." Eames nodded. "Go talk to Ross."

Eames sighed, stood, and walked over to Ross' office. She knocked on the door, and Ross nodded her in.

"Yes, Detective Eames?" Captain Ross asked.

"Have you heard from Goren?" She asked. Captain Ross sighed. "Please, Captain… it's been a week."

"Murder cases take some time," Ross said firmly.

"Have you heard from him? I… I'm worried about him," Eames admitted.

"He can't contact me," Ross answered. "Contact between patients and anyone can be monitored."

"You're letting him go undercover with no backup or anything?" Eames said angrily. "Captain, he could be killed!"

"Detective Goren can take care of himself," Ross said sharply. "Let him do his job and you do yours, Eames."

Eames shook her head and went back to her desk. She sat down and picked up her pencil. She tried to continue with the paper work, but she couldn't. She finally got up and told Bishop, "I'm taking an early lunch…. I'll be back." Bishop nodded. Eames grabbed her coat and headed to the elevator.

Lunch was the last thing on her mind.


	10. Chapter 10

Eames walked into Mt. Sinai and quickly found the psych ward. She went up to the secretary and said, "I'm here to see Robert Goren. I'm… an old co-worker."

The nurse nodded. "Room Three. Second on the right."

Eames nodded thanks, walked down the hall, and knocked on the door. She heard Bobby say softly, "Come in."

She opened the door, stepped in, and froze. Bobby was sitting on his bed across the room, holding his knees to his chest, starting out the window. He was thinner than he had been for a long time. "B-Bobby?"

A slight, disturbing smile crawled onto his face. "Alexandra Eames. Badge number 4-5-6-3-3. Widow. Ex-partner of Robert Goren…" he looked down. "The nut job." _Why's she here?_ He wondered.

Eames took a step toward Bobby. "Bobby…"

He faced her, and said, "Bet you're regretting withdrawing your transfer request."

"Of course not… why would you say that?"

Bobby replied softly, "Because I tainted your career."

"Bobby, no…"

"I did! You said so!" Bobby snapped. After a tense silence, he turned away. "You shouldn't be here anyway."

Eames stepped closer to Bobby. She whispered, "Bobby…. Are they hurting you?"

Bobby barked a laugh. "Of course not, Eames. They treat me _wonderfully_ here."

"What are they doing to you?"

"They're treating me, Eames. They're helping me…" Bobby said softly. There was a tense pause, and he turned and snarled, "Why are you here anyway? Huh?"

"I wanted to—"

"To what? Huh? Do you want to humiliate me even more?" Bobby shouted.

"What're you talking about?" Eames asked softly.

Bobby laughed maniacally. "Yes, that's right. You've forgotten already, huh? Standing there, watching while Ross _snatched_ my badge and my gun from me! He brought me here, he fired me… and you stood there and did _nothing_!"

"Bobby, that never—"

"I remember it! Don't tell me I'm _crazy_, because _I – remember_!"

Two nurses came in, and one said soothingly, "Hey, Bobby, come on. Let's calm down, all right?"

"Get her out of here!" Bobby said, nodding at Alex. He screamed, "_She shouldn't be here_!"

He lunged at Alex, and she leapt back out of his reach. The two nurses grabbed his arms, and one called for help.

Bobby continued struggling against the nurses, screaming, "_Get her out of here!_" A third nurse came in and stuck a syringe in Bobby's thigh. He cried out slightly, and then began to calm.

Eames was against the wall, shaking. Two nurses led Bobby out of the room. He was still muttering, "_I don't want her here…_"

The last nurse said, "Are you okay, miss?" Eames nodded. "I'm really sorry you had to see that."

"What happened?" Eames demanded. "He… he's _never _been like that."

The nurse shrugged. "It happens. Again, I'm sorry. You should probably go though." With that, he left.

Eames sat down on his bed. _What the hell's going on?_ She wondered, a tear falling down her cheek.


	11. Chapter 11

Eames stepped out of Bobby's room and headed toward the exit when she heard a voice call, "Were you visiting Bobby?"

Eames turned, and Jessica stood in her doorway.

"Yes, I was," she said, wiping her eyes.

Jessica cocked her head. "How do you know him?"

"I work… worked… with him," Eames answered. "My name's Alex Eames. What's yours, sweetie?"

"Jessica," she answered. "Bobby's my friend too." She looked Eames over. "He made you sad."

Eames sighed. "Um, yeah…"

"He makes me sad too," Jessica said.

Eames blinked. "Oh?"

Jessica nodded. "He was really nice the day he came in. After that… he got… weird."

Eames said, "Well, have you seen anyone hanging around Bobby?" Jessica looked down and said nothing. Eames continued, "Don't worry…"

Jessica looked up and said, "Well, I sometimes see things that aren't real. B-but I've seen Nurse Jacobs around him. He gives Bobby shots."

Eames' eyes widened. "Shots? Of what, do you know?"

Jessica shook her head. "No, but I've seen him put syringes in that box," she said, pointing to a container labeled for needles. "I should go now… are you gonna come back?" She paused. "I think he's lonely…" Eames nodded, and Jessica smiled. "Bye, Alex." With that, Jessica shut her door.

Eames wiped a tear out of her eye and walked out of the hospital and into her SUV. She immediately dialed Captain Ross.

The captain picked up after two rings. "Captain Ross."

"Captain – we have to get Bobby out!"

"Detective Eames? Where are you calling from?" he asked.

"I…" Eames sighed. "I went to Mt. Sinai — "

"You _what?_"

"Listen, Captain… I saw Bobby…. He's not well; we have to get him out of there!"

There was silence for a moment. "Eames, do you have _any_ idea how much trouble you could be in?"

"I had to do this, Captain," Eames said sternly. "He…" Her voice quivered. "He's really bad."

Ross sighed. "He could've been sticking to his cover, couldn't he?"

"He thinks we fired him."

"_What?_"

"He… he screamed at me about standing back while you tore his badge and gun from him." She paused and took a deep breath. "He… he started screaming at me to get out. N-nurses came in… one injected him with some kind of sedative… t-they dragged him out." She shook her head. "B-Bobby wouldn't do that."

She could sense Ross thinking. Then he sighed and said, "Give me a few minutes. I'll be right there."


	12. Chapter 12

Bobby's head was spinning… He tried to rub his head, but couldn't move his arms. The world came into focus, and he saw himself strapped down to a table. He looked around anxiously.

"That's what happens when you snap… Bobby." Nurse Jacobs stood by the door, arms crossed and watching Bobby with a grin on his face. "Poor, poor Bobby Goren. He went the same way as his mother."

"I'm not like her!" Bobby said firmly.

"Really? Look at yourself, Bobby. You're in a psych ward, strapped to a table," Jacobs said smugly. "You ended up here, just like her. You belong here, just like her."

"I'm not like her," Bobby repeated. He began almost to chant, "I'm not like her… I'm not like her…"

Jacobs shook his head. "Of course not, Bobby." He injected some medicine into Bobby. "You're nothing like your mother." With that, he left.

A tear fell down Bobby's cheek. _I'm not like her!_

_I'm not like her!_

… _I'm … not … like… her… _

A/N: Short one, I know…. Just wanted to write this brief chapter…


	13. Chapter 13

Captain Ross drove up to Mt. Sinai and met up with Eames. Together they went in to the psych ward.

They came up to the secretary and said, "We're here to see Dr. Mahler."

"He's in his office…. First door to your left," she answered.

Ross and Eames went in. Dr. Mahler was sitting at his desk working on his computer, but he stood as they entered.

"Captain Ross, Detective Eames… how can I help you two?" he asked.

"Where's Bobby?" Eames demanded.

"Mr. Goren is in isolation," Dr. Mahler answered.

"_Isolation_? What did you do to him?"

Captain Ross interrupted. "We need to take Detective Goren home, doctor."

Dr. Mahler frowned. "I'm afraid that's really not advisable…"

Eames snapped, "I don't care! We're getting him out of here. He was fine before he was here!"

Dr. Mahler stood his ground. "Now listen, Detective…. I conducted a thorough interview with Mr. Goren, and I assure you –"

"What are you injecting into him?" Eames asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What drugs are you putting into him?" Eames demanded.

Dr. Mahler shook his head. "All Mr. Goren's medications are pills, Detective."

"Another patient, Jessica, told me she saw a Nurse Jacobs throw away syringes after coming out of Bobby's room, doctor," Eames said.

Dr. Mahler chuckled. "Poor Jessica has schizophrenia… she doesn't know what she saw."

"I want a blood test," Eames said.

"W-what?"

"Draw some of Bobby's blood. Our doctors will examine it, and we'll find out what the hell you're giving him!"

Dr. Mahler froze for a moment. "Detective… I assure you that I have nothing to do with this… I would never intentionally cause harm…"

"Then draw the blood," Eames said sharply.

"I'm afraid I can't without a court order…"

Eames snapped, "I'm his medical proxy! Your diagnosis makes him unfit to make his own medical decisions, so I do. And I give my consent for the blood test."

Dr. Mahler nodded slowly, and left the room. Eames and Ross sat in silence for a few moments.

Ross shifted in his seat. He sighed. "Detective…"

"Don't." Eames shook her head.

A few minutes later Dr. Mahler returned with a vial of Bobby's blood. "Here you go," he said, handing to Captain Ross.

"Thanks," Eames said. "Captain Ross will run that over to our ME. I'll stay with Bobby while you write up the discharge papers."

Dr. Mahler cautioned, "I don't know –"

Eames said firmly, "I'm staying with him." She turned to Ross. "You'll call me with the results, Captain?" Ross nodded. "Thank you. Now where's Bobby?"

Dr. Mahler led Eames to isolation. She looked in the door window, and rushed in.


	14. Chapter 14

Bobby's eyes were shut and were moist, like he'd been crying. Eames ran to his side and took his hand. Dr. Mahler stood by the door, clearly nervous.

Eames turned and snapped, "You do this to all your patients?"

Dr. Mahler said, "Some patients are extremely unstable… this protects them and us."

Eames rolled her eyes. Bobby began to stir and slowly opened his eyes.

"E-Eames?" he said weakly.

Eames kept one of his hands in hers, but with the other began to unfasten the restraints. "Yes… it's me, Bobby. I'm here. You're safe."

Bobby sniffed. "B-but… you didn't stop Ross from…"

Eames shook her head. "Bobby… you weren't fired."

Bobby now could sit up, but he looked at Eames questioningly. "But…"

"Ross sent you here to go undercover on a murder," she whispered, making sure Dr. Mahler couldn't hear. "Someone injected you with some kind of medication… someone here did this to you." She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"B-but… I don't remember being undercover," Bobby said desperately. "Why... how could I forget?"

"Someone gave you drugs. They made you forget," Eames assured Bobby. "I'm here to take you home, Bobby."

"I… I can't go home! T-they'll find me there!"

"No… no one will find you," Eames said soothingly. "We're police, Bobby. We'll make sure no one hurts you…"

"You can't stop them, Eames! No one can," Bobby said flatly.

Eames took Bobby's hand. "Bobby, look at me." Bobby didn't move. "Bobby, _look _at me!" Bobby turned and faced her. "No one is going to hurt you. You have my word." Eames locked her eyes on Bobby's. "Do you trust me?"

"Eames…"

She shook her head. "Answer me, Bobby. Do you trust me?" Bobby nodded slowly. "Then believe me when I promise you will be fine."

Bobby sighed, and then gave a weak smile. "T-thank you, Eames…"


	15. Chapter 15

A week later, Logan and Falacci arrested Nurse Daniel Jacobs for eleven counts of murder and assault. Ross had asked Eames if she wanted to ride along, but she decided not to.

Instead, she asked to take the afternoon off, to which Ross agreed. She grabbed her coat and left.

She drove the familiar route, wondering exactly what she would see. But she knew she had to do this.

She took the elevator up to the twelfth floor and stopped in front of the door. She took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"It's me," Eames said. She heard locks click, and the door slowly opened.

Bobby stood in the doorway. "Hey. Come on in." Eames smiled and stepped in. Bobby shut the door behind her. "C-can I get you anything?"

Eames shook her head. "No, I'm good, Bobby." There was a pause. "I wanted to let you know…. Logan and Falacci went to Mt. Sinai to arrest Jacobs. We've got enough to put him away for life."

Bobby nodded and sighed. They sat in silence for a few moments. Then he said softly, "Eames… I remember what happened."

Eames tensed. "You do?"

Bobby nodded. "Y-yeah." He took a deep breath. "I… i-it was terrible, Eames. I… I was living in her world."

"You're not like her!" Eames said quickly, but quietly. She took a breath and went on, "Bobby… that was not you."

"Not right now…" Bobby muttered. "But… it was there, Eames… in the back of my mind…. It didn't come from nowhere."

Eames shook her head. "Bobby…"

"Ross already thinks I'm like her," Bobby said softly.

Eames tensed. "That's not true."

Bobby smirked. "Isn't it? Come on, Eames. Let's not kid ourselves."

A pain expression came over Eames' face. She looked straight at Bobby. "Bobby… I walked into that room. I listened to you, and my first thought was _what the hell did they do to Bobby?_ I _knew_ something was wrong. Now, do you trust me, or Ross, Bobby?"

"I trust you," Bobby said softly.

Eames smiled. "Then trust me when I say that if anything like that happens again…" She took Bobby's hand and continued, "I will be there to save you. If you trust nothing else… trust me."

A/N: Final chapter!! Thank you to everyone who read…. I hope everyone enjoyed!! D


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